They are the world's best golfers, many of whom live at two of Orlando's swankiest enclaves.

Isleworth and Lake Nona: which really rules the golf world?

The debate has simmered for years. Then word broke last week that the local boys (and girl) finally are going to find out. A million-dollar match has been set for March, all of which is very exciting. Except for one thing.

What about Winter Pines?

"If they give us our handicaps, they can bring it on," Rich Ullman said.

Seriously?

Well, kind of. There's no doubt the winner of the Isleworth-Lake Nona match should be crowned the best club in Orlando, if not the universe. In math terms, their players are in the top .000001 percentile of human beings.

But the showdown overlooks the other 99.99999 percent of golfers, some of whom legitimately can dream that maybe, if everything clicked, if Tiger Woods tossed his driver over the fence, if Ernie Els fell into the pond on No. 9, if the planets got the yips and completely realigned, a course like Winter Pines could work its magic and at least make the country club crowd sweat.

If nothing else, wouldn't it be fun to find out?

"It would be exciting," Jay Bays said. "Lake Nona and Isleworth are going to be crying. You'd hate to have to bring them down here and lose to little old Winter Pines."

Bays is one of the better golfers and trash talkers at Winter Pines Golf Club, which is saying a lot considering at least 1,500 rounds are played there a week. The tidy little course near Winter Park High is the busiest in Orlando, and with good reason.

"It's the best value around," Ralph Adams said.

A prime-time round will set you back $23, or roughly what it costs to have your Foot-Joys shined at Isleworth. Assuming you even can play out there. Which you can't, unless you sneak past the machine gun nests at the front gate.

"We don't quite make the money to play those courses," Ullman said.

Not that the Winter Pines boys are jealous. They have endless admiration for players such as Mark O'Meara, Retief Goosen, Nick Faldo and, yes, Annika Sorenstam. They know they have as much chance of beating Woods as they do of stealing his fiancee. But their pride in Winter Pines won't allow them to concede automatically that the best club in town has gold-plated sprinklers.

If team camaraderie matters, Winter Pines would have to give strokes. There's Ullman, who currently trails Woods by $39,777,265 in career winnings.

"An amateur can't make money," he laughed.

The 56-year-old Army retiree certainly has made an unofficial buck or two. He played in the U.S. Amateur 30 years ago and has a best round of 63.

Bays, 62, still can shoot his age at his par-67 home course, at least if his infernal putter ever would heat up.

The 53-year-old Maddux is a 9-handicap whose game will remind you of John Daly's, at least if you go by cigarettes smoked. Then there's Adams, who has no problem figuring out the strength of his game.

"My inconsistency," he said.

But you want heart? His 69-year-old ticker underwent a quintuple bypass four years ago. You want dexterity under pressure? He made more than 300 carrier landings as an armed forces pilot. Tiger isn't even licensed to fly his private jet.

As imposing as the quartet is, the real equalizer would be the venue. Winter Pines is 5,401 yards long from the back tees, a deceptively short length that the pros haven't played since they were smaller than their golf bags.

Considering the traffic it gets, Winter Pines is in Augusta National condition. But the Bermuda greens aren't exactly PGA fast. What's more, there's no valet service. And an unsuspecting guest might get run over by one of the regulars in a golf cart.

"You can play out here until you die," Bays said. "In fact, most guys do play out here until they die."

The Isleworth clubhouse proudly displays green Masters jackets won by Woods and O'Meara. The 19th Hole at Winter Pines proudly displays a variety of NFL pennants.

It represents the vast majority of places golf is played in America. Instead of Tiger dissecting the amazing 6-iron from the bunker that won the 2000 Canadian Open, the $5.95-a-pitcher beer flows, and people joke about the 9-iron Bays once tossed that came down and hit him in the head.

"I still made a par on the hole," he said.

In Animal House terms, this is like comparing the Deltas to the Omegas. In one corner, you have John Belushi whacking putts with a driver. In the other, you have Sergio Garcia getting paddled and yelling, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"